Body for dumping-trucks



G. G. NELSON. BODY FOR DUMPING TRUCKS. APPLICATION Fl LED NOV. 24, 1919.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

INVENTOR. GJVelson A TORNEY UNITED STATES GEORGE G. NELSON, OF TURLOCK, CALIFORNIA.

BODY FGR DUMPIN'G-TRUCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

Application filed. November 24, 1919. Serial No. 340,363.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE Gr. NELSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Turlock, county of Stanislaus, State of Salifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bodies for Dumping- Trucks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in dumping trucks and vehicles of all kinds, being particularly adapted to be used in the transportation of rock, sand, cement and like products, which are adapted to be unloaded by dumping the same all at once.

I am aware of course that there are numerous dumping bodies and attachments, but as far as I know, they all leave their load directly underneath the body or behind the same, or so close to one side of the vehicle as to roll under the wheels. These are obvious disadvantages, since each load when so dumped is more or less in the path Y of the next vehicle and hinders the rapid and free movement of the same.

The principal object of my invention therefore is to eliminate the objectionable features of dumping bodies as above stated, by so constructing the body that the load when dumped will be thrown to one side clear of any possibility of fouling with the wheels.

Another object is to devise a dumping body which does not depend on any power actuated mechanism for its operation, but can be caused to dump to either one side or the other at the will of the operator, with no other instrument in his hands than any object capable of striking a fairly heavy blow, such as a hammer, wrench, iron bar or the like.

A third object is to devise a dumping body which does not require any lifting or pulling strain to cause it to operate and which is so evenly balanced on itssupports as to be easily righted and positioned ready for another load by one man.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedinglyefi'ective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of able intervals.

parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of my 3, on which are secured the floor planks 4 of the truck. End boards 5 are rigidly mounted on the floor, while overlapping and abutting against the, end boards are side boards 6, the same height thereas.

Outside the side boards and secured thereto are vertical beams 7, extending downwardly outside and adjacent the beams 2 and 3, and pivoted to the latter in pairs, as shown at 8. These beams extend down to and normally rest on a common pipe or rod 9 projecting horizontally through all the beams 2 on each side. Of course, this may be a separate rod or pin for each pair of beams, if so desired. The lower ends of the beams 7, where they rest on the pipes or pins, are beveled transversely, as shown at 10. These ends and the outside of the beams adjacent thereto are sheathed with strap iron to better resist wear, as shown at 11.

Between each pair of beams 2 and 3 and pivoted thereto are arms 12, which while substantially vertical normally, diverge somewhat from each other toward their top ends and are positioned in symmetrical relation on each side of the vertical center line of the truck.

Spring straps 13 are secured to the end gates 5, and on each end have a latch i l adapted to engage the outer sides of the side boards 6 at the top thereof. The straps of which the latches are a part are secured far enough back from the side boards as to allow the latches sufiicient upward movement to clear the boards. The outer ends of the latch portions project outwardly to form lips 15,

adapted to receive the blow of a hammer or similar instrument thereunder to raise the.

so that these end members are prevented from any tendency to bulge outwardly when the body is loaded.

The operation of the device is as follows, it being supposed that the load presumed to be in the body is to be dumped out the right hand side of the truck.

The driver merely strikes the lips 15 of the latches let an upward blow. This action releases the latches, and the weight of tire load, acting both horizontally against the side boards and vertically on the beams 7 resting on the pipe 9, causes the side board on that side to move outwardly about axis, and at the same time causes the lower ends of said beams to move inwardly away from engagement with the pipe. Since the function of the pipeis to support the beam, when this support is relatively removed, the arms 12 on thatside will move downwardly towarr the adjacent end of the beams, having already a slant in that direction, as previously described, and thus allowing the floor to be tilted toward that side.

The angle of tilt is increased by reason of the action of the beams 12 on the other side, which in their normal position have not passed a vcrtica-lcenter line, and hence with the movement away of the other beams 12, will cause the body to be raised somewhat at that point.

The downward slope of the side boards is limited by the abuttingof the lower portions of the'beazn's 7 against the under side of the floor a. To prevent too great a space being bad between the side boards and the floor when in the dumping position, the latter projects beyond the side boards for a certaindistance as at 18, being cut away at the points where the beams? lie. To limit the downward movement of the body as a whole, a bumper 19 is provided on the under side of the floor on each side, and is adapted to strike on the top of the wheel-20 of the truck on that side; T0 raise the side board and position the body on a horizontal plane for loading, a lifting force is exerted onthe side boardto raise theweight thereof] As soon as the beams 'Z strilre'the pins 9, the

beams then act as levers, and the entire body may then be raised until the side board is in a vertical position, when the latches will snap into position and hold the entire structure against undesired tilting.

it will be evident that while I have shown this body as being mounted on a motor truck chassis, its use or adaptation is not confined to such vehicle, since the mechanism of the truck itself has nothing what ever to do with the dumping body structure. It may therefore be mounted on any form of horse or power drawn vehicles, railroad cars, etc.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfils the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

l-laving thus described my invention, what I claim as new useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A dumping body for vehicles comprising a floor portion flexibly mounted to the frame of the vehicle lengthwise thereof, rigid end boards on the floor, latches on the end boards, side boards adapted to rest in a vertical position adjacent the end boards and be held by the latches thereon, vertical beams secured to the side boards and pivoted to the floor, rods mounted in the frame of the vehicle longitudinally thereof and on which the beams normally rest, and means whereby when the latches on one side are released the potential energy of the load will cause the vertical beams on that side to move away from contact with the rods and the side board to swing outwardly to lie in a plane parallel to the floor and the latter to be simultaneously tilted at a downward angle on that side. 7

2. A dumping body for vehicles comprising floor portion extending lengthwise of the vehicle, rigid end boards on the floor, late ice on the end boards, side boards adapted to rest in a vertical position adjacent the end boards and be held by the latches thereonyvertical beams secured to the side boards and pivoted to the floor, rods mounted in the frame of the vehicle longftudinally thereof and on which the beams norn fly rest, and arms in transverse pairs positioned between the vertical beams, each such pair being pivoted both to the frame of the vehicle and the floor of the body and d rgring from each other toward the top and arranged equi-distant from the vertical center line of the vehicle.

3. A dumping body for vehicles including; a door portion flexibly mounted tothe.

frame of the vehicle lengthwise thereof, side boards pivotally secured to the floor, latches to hold the same in a vertical position, with the floor, and the latter to be simulmeans whereby When so positioned the floor ta'neously tilted down on that side.

portion will positively be held in a horizon- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 10 tal plane, and means whereby on releasing in presence of a Witness. 5 the latches on either side board the poten- GEORGE G. NELSON.

tial energy of the load will cause that side Witness: board to assume a position in alinement BERNARD PRIVAT. 

